Latest news!
Check out our latest e-news!
And join our mailing list to keep in touch ..
If you have news, upcoming events, photos, publications, exhibitions, seminars, community action or celebrations to share, please let us know.
Posts Tagged ‘London central mosque’
Archbishop: British Muslims, we are with you
In the wake of the shooting in New Zealand, the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke at an interfaith gathering at Regent’s Park Mosque in London.
Much of what I was going to say has already been said. The killings in New Zealand are monstrous. The response of New Zealand, all its people, with Muslims in the forefront, is beautiful and inspiring. What they say to each other we say to you. Those who attack Muslims in THIS country or elsewhere attack every human being. You are not “the other”, you are us. Those who act out of hate for Muslims act out of hate for all here. Those who acted or supported the actions in New Zealand attack all of us.
For British Muslims who are feeling under threat, we are with you. Hatred of Muslims denies and blasphemes Christ. Those who co-opt Christian language and history for hatred commit blasphemy.
We will work with Bishops in the Church of England to see how we can be more effective in visible signs of togetherness.
We educate one million children in Church of England schools and have 8000 clergy. We will renew what we do in our Near Neighbours scheme. We will work with bishops to see how we can be more effective in dioceses.
I commit myself to listening more and putting this higher up the agenda in my own actions and words.
The event in New Zealand is a wake-up call to renew civilised discourse in public life and on social media. I know that my good friend Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who is unfortunately unable to be with us today, is one with me when I say that faith and obedience to God are part of the solution to the challenges of extremism and it is working with faith communities that we will tackle this problem. It’s shown by the fact that people from so many faiths are standing together here in solidarity. The attacker wanted to create a war against Islam; he generated human unity.
Jesus taught his followers to be peacemakers, “for they will be called children of God.” Making peace is an action, it doesn’t just happen. It requires us to be curious, to listen, to move across differences of culture, ethnicity, religion and politics in love. Hate crimes against those who are different have no place before God.
We stand together for you are us, and we are you, together in the hands of the creator and judge of every person. May God protect and strengthen you.
Read the full speech on the Archbishop’s website.
Reflections on Inter Faith Week
The Launch
Inter Faith Week is not yet over but today seems a good time to reflect on what has happened so far. For me, and many others, Inter Faith Week began with a launch event on 12 November in London, many regional and national organisations had displays. There was a tremendous sense of energy and celebration as we shared our stories and details of our events. Some of the other organisations with an interest in Christian-Muslim relations are: St Ethelburga’s, Three Faiths Forum, United Religions Initiative, St Philip’s Centre.
The highlight of the event was a series of brief speeches by young people of different faiths sharing their thoughts and experiences of inter faith which were truly inspirational and filled us with hope for what the next generation might achieve.
Faith Leaders Meeting
The second event I attended was a meeting of faith leaders and trustees of the Inter Faith Network at Lambeth Palace on 16 November. A statement was agreed and signed, these are the key points:
- We believe that good inter faith relations are a vital part of a harmonious, just and respectful society.
- We pledge, today, to deepen our work to increase understanding about and between our faiths and to strengthen our cooperation on social issues.
- We renew our commitment to developing effective and long term ways of dialogue and mutual learning.
- While our great religious traditions are distinct in belief and practice, there is much that unites us.
- We will work to tackle with renewed determination the challenges of poverty, ignorance, injustice, crime and violence, and social fragmentation and to help shape a society where all feel at home; all are valued and justly treated; and all have a chance to thrive.
Interfaith Day
The most ground-breaking event of the week took place at London Central Mosque (Regents Park). The Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB), in collaboration with Lambeth Palace, organised an Interfaith Day. A central mosque is a mosque for the city, perhaps having a role similar to a cathedral, it is an open and welcoming space. The event itself showed the commitment of the Muslim community to improving inter faith relations by highlighting how this modern idea is integral to Islam since its earliest days. Some extracts from speeches by Muslims:
- Maulana Mohammad Khan – ‘Islam lived in an inter faith community and started out by respecting other communities, our faith is not complete if we do not respect other beliefs, their scriptures and symbols.’
- Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin – ‘Inter faith is not a hollow and secular initiative, it cannot be faith-less, we should learn from what other faiths have to offer, we cannot be adversarial. All faiths bring an enormous value to our lives. Christianity is a defining force for this civilisation. Differences of religion are the plan of God and it will remain so forever.’
- Said Ferjani – ‘Dialogue is the engine of all the prophets – Jesus dialogued with everyone – it is the pillar of any genuine faith.’
- Sayyed Mohammed Mousawi – ‘Islam is based on the best inter faith foundation, the Prophet Muhammad, who said, “be good to every human being”. Inter faith is the way of true religion, we need a movement of inter faith and should invite people to our mosques. We need to make inter faith a lively truth in our lives.’
- Dr Ahmed Al Dubayan, newly appointed Chair of MINAB’s interfaith committee and Director General, London Central Mosque – ‘We need to build more bridges of understanding and dialogue. The alternative is misunderstanding, hate and ultimately terror.’
- Fuad Nahdi, Radical Middle Way – ‘Listening is OK but dialogue is more advanced, it is not just tea, cucumber sandwiches and samosas. It is time for convergence not conversion.’
We look forward to telling you about our own Peace Worker’s experiences during Inter Faith Week next week.
Another ongoing initiative
Please sign up to our Christian-Muslim statement on climate change.
Julian Bond